Improvement



- 2Sheets--Sheeti. G. FELDKAMP. Chairs. No. 144-,08-0. Patentedomuzsnms.

2Sheets--Sheet2,

a. FELDKAMP.

Chairs. N0, 144,080. Patented Oct. 28,1873.

UNITED STATES PATENT DFFIGE.

GEORGE FELDKAMP, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

IMPRQVEMENT IN CHAIRS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 144.080, dated October28, 1873; application filed August 13, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE FELDKAMP, of Oincipnati, Hamilton county,Ohio, have i11- vented a new and useful Improvement in Chairs, of whichthe following is a specificationi My invention has for its object themore secure junction of the legs with the seat-frame of a chair, bymeans which, at the same time, serve to strengthen the said frame at thepart where it is most liable to break asunder; and my invention isparticularly designed for the class known as the round seat or cottagechair, whose seat-frame is of circular, or approximately circular, form,and composed of four sawed arc pieces or segments. In the most commonand economical form of this seat the junctions of the front segment withthe side segments occur near the jimctions of the front legs with theseat-frame, and at a part of the segment which is unavoidably weak,owing to the grain of the timber running nearly athwart said frontsegment near its ends where the legmortise has to be made. In order tore-enforce and stiffen the seat-frame at this part, and at the same timestrengthen the glued joint which unites the abutting ends of the frontand side segments, and to also strengthen the leg at this part, Iprovide a cleat which, being securely fastened to the under side of theseatframe, so as to overlap the joint which unites the front and sidesegments, is mortised to receive the leg-tenon, which is introducedclear through said cleat into the substance of the seat, in the mannerhereinafter explained.

, Figure 1 is a perspective under-side view of a portion of a chair-seatand attached leg embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is apartiallysectionized elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view(inverted) of a modification of my improvement. Fig. 4 is a verticalsection of said modification. Fig. 5 is an underside view representingmy improvement ap plied to a square seat. Figs. 6 and 7 showmodifications of my improvement.

A and B represent, respectively, the abutting portions of thefront andone of the side segments of a chair-seat of the cottage or circularform; C, the glued and doweled joint formed by the abutting ends of saidportions. D is a cleat, preferably of some hard wood,

which is glued and screwed, nailed or doweled, as represented, orotherwise firmly secured to the under surface of the seat-frame, in sucha manner as to cover, at one and the same time, the most crossgrainedparts of the segments, including the part weakened by the leg-mortise,and also to so far overlap the side segment as to cover and strengthenthe butt-joint which unites it with the front segment. (1 represents theleg-mortise in the cleat, which eX- tends into the frame, as shown at 01and d 01 represent orifices for the screws E or dowels F. L representsthe leg, and 1 its tenon occupying the mortise or socket d (1 The widthof the cleat may be such as to extend from near the outer edge of theframe to within a short distance of the cane-holes G, as in Fig. 1, ormay extend to the inner edge of the frame, and be perforated forcane-holes, as in Fig. 3, where H shows a projection, which reaches toor near the inner edge of the seatframe, and G the cane-holes in saidprojection.

Beside adding largely to the strength of the chair at its otherwiseweakest part, the improvement imparts a more substantial, tasteful, andsymmetrical appearance.

Although described and more particularly intended for roLmd-seat chairs,my improvement may obviously be usefully applied to rocking, rim-back,and other chairs. It is applicable to all cane-seat and other chairs,settees, 850., where the bottom is set into or upon a frame. I

The cleat may, if desired, have a tongue or tenon, which tongue a mayhave vertical sides, and be inserted vertically into the mortise b inthe frame, or the tongue may have the doveand other articles offurniture have before been secured and strengthened by socket piecesattached to the under side of the frame. This, therefore, I do notbroadly claim, but such a device has never been applied in the mannerdescribed by inc-that is to say, with leg-fem ons passing through thesocket piece and into the frame at a point remote from the joint in thelatter.

By this peculiar construction I avoid the respective defects incident toeach mode of construction heretofore adopted, and combine several usefulresults which, though not sepa rately new, are for the first timecombined, and unite to produce a structure-of superior strength.

These results may be stated as follows: First, the cleat crossing thejoint performs its usual function of strengthening the said joint.Second, the leg-tenon, passing through the cleat and into the frame, soas to take hold of both, cannot exert a direct strain upon the cleat towrench it from the frame, and hence does not impair the strengtheningeffect of the cleat. Third, by locating the mortise or leg-' tenon at apoint remote from the joint in the frame I avoid the weakening effectwhich the said tenon would otherwise exert on the said joint, as it ismanifest that, where the tenon enters the-frame at'the joint, anylateral strain on the leg will tend to wrench the joint open, and thatthis weakening effect would more than counterbalance the advantageresulting from passing the tenon completely through the seat into theframe.

What I claim, therefore, as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The combination of the socket-cleat D, secured to the frame A B andcrossing the joint 0, and leg L passing through the socket piece andinto the frame at a point removed from the joint 0, all as specified.

2. The combination of the cleat D with tongue or tenon a, and theseat-frame A B with corresponding mortise b, as and for the purposes setforth.

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand.

GEORGE FELDKAMP. Attest:

GEO. H. KNIGHT, J OHN KILOH.

